Where to Eat in Columbus, Ohio

Ever find one of those restaurants you never want to leave? When we were recently in Columbus, Ohio, we drove around campus visiting Ed's old haunts from his college days, viewed some extraordinary art, stayed in a fine art boutique hotel, Le Meridien The Joseph, and had an extraordinary meal. While I love Columbus, I really want to curl up on the white leather couches at The Guild House, to eat well, work in a new "office," and never leave.

My new office?

The Guild House is a thoughtful, interesting, delicious restaurant from the Cameron Mitchell Group, which runs many fine dining restaurants in Columbus. This newest one takes the cake (and donuts), though - it's beautiful, has outstanding talent in the kitchen, and sources locally and organically when possible. As the Guild House notes on the menu, "There's a lot of love on every plate."

I concur - the Guild House gets major congratulations for the design, decor, staffing, and food.

I asked dining room manager Natalie Muehlfeld (9 years with the Cameron Mitchell Group) about that. She said, "The Guild House features creative American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our Chefs collaborate to create offerings that are regionally and globally inspired, all with Artistic technique in an energetic and inviting space. The dishes that come out of our kitchen (as you now know!:-)) are beautiful and we pride ourselves not only on the look, but the variety of taste and flavor. My philosophy on service is to be genuine and treat every person as if they were a guest in your own home. We have the best mentors in Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and they have taught me everything I know! From the candles, to the table settings, to the surroundings, to the first initial greet, all of this matters in this day and age. The experience is so much more than food or drink. It is truly an honor to say that you love your job, and that I do. I get to go to work every day and do what I love, with the people I love, and that makes anyone feel like the luckiest person on the world!"

That love and graciousness extends into the kitchen, as well. I talked with Sous Chef Patrick Hofer (see our interview with him over at i8tonite), both at the table and via email. Patrick did more than create an amazing meal - he came to our table, at our request, and explained to us all of the ingredients, and how each dish was made (thank you!). Afterward, via email when I asked what his favorite part of his job was, he noted that "I always enjoy seeing the guests happy, and enjoying the experience we have provided for them."

When you walk in, you're greeted with smiles - and a wall of wine bottles! Wend your way around the corner and look up - the green glass chandelier is spectactular. Then head to those luscious white banquettes, marveling at the gorgeous dishes laid out, just waiting for a meal.

Pretty soon, you'll be enjoying said dishes with a variety of scrumptious foods. We had extraordinary appetizers (be sure to get the cheese plate with house made crackers and local sourdough toast), entrees (Lillie said that lasagna was a masterpiece, and the best lasagna she'd ever had - and she's a lasagna connoisseur), non-alcoholic shrub beverages (swoon), and desserts. Take a look:

See that cheese plate? Homemade ricotta with homemade strawberry jam was the first to go...

The service was everything you want in a restaurant - knowledgeable, friendly staff, that know when to tend and when to leave you alone to enjoy the food. It was this that made our meal even more remarkable - and why we'll be back. Highly recommended.